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73 NEWSLETTER HISTORY ~·~ OF SCIENCE ·v;·~--1~.~.3 ·NU-M·B·ER-2___________ sQ(J£ THE HPS PROGRAM HSSEXECUTIVE SUPPORT FROM THE NSF COMMITTEE PRESIDENT It has recently come to the attention of the HSS Committee on Research and GERALD HOLIDN, Harvard University the Profession that all is not well with the History and Philosophy of Science VICE-PRESIDENT Program IHPSJ at the National Science Foundation !NSF). We all knew that it EDWARD GRANT, Indiana University had suffered grievous cutbacks in the spring of 1981, when the first round of Reagan cuts threatened it with extinction. At that time it was forced to imple SECRETARY AUDREY DAVIS, Smithsonian Institution ment a temporary emergency "small grants" program, but with the passing of that crisis and the lack of further cuts, it seemed that the program had weath TREASURER SPENCER R. WEART, American Institute ered the storm and wo~d soon be back to near-normal vigor. It might even have of Physics begun to reflect the recent growth in the field, evident in the increased member ship of the History of Science Society !up by over 40 percent in five years) or the EDITOR ARNOLD THACKRAY, University of ever larger annual issues of the Isis Critical Bibliography. Pennsylvania Unfortunately, however, the HPS program has not enjoyed proportional growth in recent years or even in recent decades. From the accompanying graph, assembled recently for a commemorative history of the program in Isis, one can The History of Science Society was founded in see that instead the Reagan cuts were just one more blow !though an almost fa 1924 to secure the future of Isis, the international tal one) to an already faltering program !see Fig. 1). Although the program bud review that George Sarton (1884-1956) had fotinded in Belgium in 1912. The Society seeks to get seems to have increased annuall~ especially in the late 1970s, these current foster interest in the history of science and its so dollars are misleading. When the figures are corrected for inflation and put into cial and cultural relations, to provide a forum for Continued on next page discussion, and to promote scholarly research in the history of science. The Society pursues these $ objectives by the publication of its journal Isis, by (in thousands) the support and subvention of other forms of schol 1,800 arly publication, by the organization of annual meetings and other programs, by the award of constant dollars medals and prizes for outstanding contributions to (corrected for inflation) 1,500 the history of science, by the encouragement and sponsorship of local and regional sections of the Society, and by cooperation with other learned and 1,200 scientific societies. 900 1N THIS ISSUE 600 Report on the Fund Drive 10 HSS Revised Statutes 15 300 Osiris Revived 16 1958 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 FULL CONfENTS ON LAST PAGE Figure 1 page2 History of Science Society Newsletter Continued from page 1 constant dollars, it becomes apparent that working, even if at a low level of activity. $3,980,000 in 1972 dollars, which when overall the size of the budget has declined To the HPS, temporary rationing of this converted to 1984 dollars equals roughly steadily for almost twenty years. The pro sort seemed the best way to minimize the $8 million. At that level we could resume gram's largest budget (in 1972-constant damage caused by the fiscal crisis. The al funding large, important projects like the dollars) was the $1.3 million allocated in ternative was to maintain the then-current Dictionary of Scientific Biography or the FY (fiscal year) 1966. By FY 1982, the grant size but to decrease the number by a Archive for the History of Quantum Phys budget was down, again in constant dol third. Other social science programs at ics, allocate multiyear continuing grants lars, to $430,000, one quarter the 1966 NSF followed the latter tactic, cutting off for major projects, again pay appropriate level and the lowest since FY 1960, more some scholars totally in the interest of sal overhead, and otherwise maintain a regu than twenty years ago-well before most vaging some of their larger grantees. The lar full-fledged support program at NSF. current members of the HSS had even HPS administrators feared that this proce Officials at NSF, however, apparently do heard of the field. Thus the fiscal health of dure would eliminate too much important not have such ambitious regrowth in mind HPS was suffering from blows more seri work, especially by junior scholars, whose for HPS; they are thinking instead in ous than the single swipe from the Reagan careers all too often were already suffering. terms of modest annual increases spread administration. (Many of the 1983 recipients, for example, scmiequitably among the several pro One further calculation makes clear of HPS awards, listed under "Awards and grams in the social and economic sci how far the program has slipped. The Honors" in this issue of the Newsletter, ences. This lockstep does not allow for number of proposals submitted has tripled could have used very productively more such factors as the following, which apply since 1960; thus calculating the amount money than they asked for, but they tai to the HPS program in particular: the im of funds available per applicant reveals lored their proposals to what the program proved quality of work being done nowa that a dangerously low level of support for could give them.) days; the increased costs of research 1e.g., research in the history and philosophy of Now, however, three years later, the of travel to archives, which have multi science has now been reached (see Figs. 2 time has come for aggressive action tore plied not only in number but in size, so and 3). To take account of this increased store the HPS budget-not just to its pre that longer stays are needed); or the dra number of active scholars in the field, the Reagan (FY 1980) level of $829,000 in matic increase in the number of proposals strategic decision was made, when the 1972 dollars, nor even to its FY 1966level and consequent greater decrease in fund small-grants program was introduced, to of $1,328,000 in 1972 dollars, but with all ing per applicant-for HPS was one of the keep the number of grants at roughly deliberate speed to three times this sum, very few programs in the entire federal 60- 70 per year (from the approximately reflecting the tripling of the number of governrnent to experience increased pres 150-200 proposals submitted annually), proposals submitted to the HPS between sure from proposals in 1982. so that many scholars could continue 1966 and 1982. This means about Every year, we are told, Ronald OYer- $ 200 20,000 number of proposals received amount granted per (solid line) applicant (in 1972 dollars) 180 18,000 number of grants made 160 (dash-line) 16,000 140 14,000 120 12,000 100 10,000 80 8,000 ,-··---... --- ' 60 "' ... -----............ J,,' 6,000 .,, .. "' ..... __ - ---- _,," 40 _, 4,000 20 2,000 1958 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 1958 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 Figure 2 Figure 3 April 1984 page 3 mann makes the case internally for a budget increase, but so does every other program director at NSF. Moreover, the NEWS FROM WASHINGTON larger and more visible programs tend to get bigger increases. The HSS Executive Committee, therefore, believes that the time has come to draw more attention to the needs of the HPS program and in- crease its visibility. (Indeed, some scien tists are still surprised to learn that NSF has a program in the history of science, because it is so small and buried in the so cial sciences division.) Sensing the need for vigorous action in this area, the Council at its October meet ing voted to establish a new Committee on Washington, with the mandate to edu cate legislators and policy makers to our needs. Frederic L. Holmes of Yale Medical On 12 September 1983 the Senate Judici ice Administration (S. 905; H.R. 3987); School (a former HSS president) and Rob ary Committee unanimously approved this continues to be a top priority. In order ert Kargon of Johri.s Hopkins University S. 774, a compromise bill that represents for the legislation to be considered by this have agreed to co-chair this new commit substantial improvements over the Congress, the House must bold bearings tee, which this spring, with the help of Reagan-Hatch bill, which would have seri and complete the committee report by 15 members of the Executive Committee and ously weakened the Freedom of Informa May. Contact Page Putnam Miller for de other members of the Society, will put the tion Act's effectiveness as a tool of open tails. case for substantially more attention to government. S. 774 broadens the scope of This fall the House and Senate reached the needs of our profession before the law enforcement records exemptions, pro a compromise on the fiscal year (FY)1984 proper authorities in Washington. Our hibits FOIA requests by foreign nationals, appropriation for the National Endow hope is that these efforts will lead to real gives businesses full notice and objection ment for the Humanities (NEH) and growth for the HPS program in the NSF. rights whenever requests are received for agreed upon $140 million, a $10 million information they have submitted to gov increase over the FY 1983level of $130 ernment agencies, and allows agencies to million.